Yesterday I started the Master Cleanse. I didn't really plan this fast; I just got up and had my usual cup of "master cleanse" tea, sans maple syrup and just kept drinking it throughout the day.

Yesterday afternoon I drove to a little local health food store to buy maple syrup and more organic lemons and Traditional Medicinals "Smooth Move" tea. Near the register was a new display case filled with Stanley Burroughs little pamphlet on the Master Cleanse. I had never seen it there before, so I took this as a sign and purchased the pamphlet too.

I drank the Smooth Move last night in a hot bath and drank another cup this morning. So far elimination has been minimal and if it doesn't increase by tomorrow morning, I'll do the salt and water flush as suggested.

I felt pretty good yesterday with good energy and mood. In the evening I felt some hunger, but nothing I couldn't handle. I didn't fall asleep as easily as usual and woke at 4:00 A.M. needing to have a bowel movement, but went back to bed and slept fairly well until 7:00.

I dreamt that I was with my boyfriend and his children and broke the fast mindlessly on garbage food. My boyfriend eats really bad food. This is an on-going problem between us. More often than not he influences me rather than the other way around...Sometimes I suspect that the food issue between us has deeper roots; that it has to do with values in general and that we are just too different. Often I suspect that he doesn't take me seriously in this area of nutrition and spiritual growth and thinks I'm a flake. Not good.

anyway, more updates as this day, Day 2, progresses.

...send positive vibes my way,

~Kathleen

Today I have not felt as energetic and my mood is more subdued. I've had a few mild headaches. I've been hungry today but haven't felt like eating really. The simplicity of this diet has its advantages. It's nice to not have to concern myself with what to eat for a while. Yesterday I was off from work but today it was back to it. Did fine. I didn't bring all the stuff with me to make the Master Cleanse, I just drank lots of water. It was only a 5hr. day.

I'm not having the success with "Smooth Move" tea that I had hoped. I do have some capsule samples (though Burroughs recommends taking the laxative in liquid or tea form) that are primarily of cascara sagrada (i'm sure i misspelled that) that I'll try tonight, but it looks like a swf for me in the morning.

~Kathleen

The Salt Water Flush was not fun.

The taste was not the problem. Gulping down a quart of warm salt water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach was the problem. I had to struggle to keep it down. Three hours later and I'm still slightly ick.

Another problem is that the results have been disappionting. Nothing much more than water coming through the rectum. As many times in my life that someone has told me how full of @#$%& I am, I KNOW there's more in me than that.

Today I have another lite duty day...so, I'll take a good hike on a nature trail near by, break a good sweat, see if that helps.

Yesterday, early to late evening, the biggest challenge I faced was boredom. I've been spending a lot of time in the last eight months planning meals, shopping for meals, preparing meals, studying new recipes, reading about nutrition etc. etc. Much of my days have been oriented around food. Take that away and WHO AM I? lol

All in all, feeling pretty good folks,

~K

Day 4 of the MC and feeling pretty good.

I am not hungry and not tempted by the food that is eaten in my presence.

I find that I have to make myself drink enough of the mc.

Still having a problem with elimination through the bowel. Nothing but water is coming out of me, and not particularly dirty water either, I mean I wouldn't bathe in it or anything, it's just not very shitty. My concern at this point is dehydration so I'm drinking a lot of water.

Last night I was unexpectedly away from home overnight. The senna laxatives at Albertsons' were almost 20 bucks, so I opted for the castor oil @ under 3.00. Still, nothing but a lot of water coming out of me.

I have no cramps or stomach pain, no headaches, not much of a coat on my tongue and very little body odor. I'm beginning to wonder if my body is in starvation mode rather than detox mode as I have very little symptoms of detox at all.

I don't feel bad at all though...so, I'm hanging in. I'm just hoping that I'm actually accomplishing something good for my body.

I didn't weigh in so I have no idea whether or not I've actually dropped weight...but I look really tiny today. I know that as soon as I start eating normally again that I'll plump back up. I don't really like the super thin look personally.

If anyone has any advice or experience regarding my troubles with BM's...please feel free to share it.

~Kath

I had simelar issues until day 5 or 6. If you were already eating fairly clean, there may not be much there. How regular were you before the fast began?

hey luna

Very regular. I always had a healthy bm every morning and often another late afternoon. I have been eating pretty clean these last 3 months or so...but not that great before that and during 2005, so I doubt I'm that clean.

Today is day 5 and I did the tea last night and had a better bm this morning (actually 2) and opted to drink another cup of the tea this morning instead of the swf because of having to go to work.

Tomorrow, if necessary, I'll do the salt water flush.

I'm still feeling pretty good and have no real hunger at all...amazing. I was suffering some neck and shoulder tension before the fast which has eased up tremendously since. I have good energy and am actually accomplishing work more quickly and efficiently than before. I do find that my concentration in study is not so great. I'm spending a lot of my off hours just being, which ain't a bad thing.

thanks for chiming in
I appreciate it,

Kath

I'm glad you're feeling good! ! How long are you planning to fast?

I plan to continue the MC fast until the 10th day. But I will probably stay on a partial fast of veggie juices a day or two more...it all depends on how I feel when I get to that point.

I felt a bit of real hunger this afternoon. First time in 2 days. I watched my boyfriend eat a fudgecicle in under 3 minutes. I thought, "so much hullabaloo and suffering over 3 minutes of pleasure". Not just the fudgecicle but all of it, ya know? How long does it take to eat a slice of pizza? Not long at all and just think what all that sort of food does to the body. I'm learning a lot from this experience.

Oh! and guess what? I had another bm today. 3 in all. I feel much better about that. I've been hanging out some on the Master Cleanse bulletin board and my experience seems to be the norm. Someone even called what I experienced the day of the swf, "butt pee" lololol....but hey, that's it exactly.

thanks for taking an interest luna,

~K

I know what ya' mean! I don't know if you've thought of this or not, but simce mint tea is allowed to drink, try adding a drop of mint oil to the swf. Makes it taste a little bit better.

Day 6 and I'm finally starting to see signs of cleansing. My tongue is coated and my bowels are starting to eliminate a lot of mucus and dark brown waste. I have body odor (never thought I'd experience a sense of satisfaction in that) and I'm feeling a bit more of a desire for food.

The desire for food I interpret as those nasty mycotoxins making a last ditch effort to hold on to their lives. Tough. Their coming out baby! to be flushed into their next life as perhaps a slug.

Luna, it's not the taste of the swf thats the problem. I have a reputation around friends and family as being able to ingest the strangest and most obnoxious things. I actually thought it tasted like instant chicken soup. The salt water flush is just too shocking to my system. I don't relish having to fight down vomiting. It doesn't make good sense to me to force my body to ingest something it clearly doesn't want. I'm finally getting good elimination and am doing it with the tea morning and night. Thank goddess and god! So, I see no sense in pushing the swf.

How, btw, are YOU?

~Kat

I'm fine! Are you wiccan/witch, too? I thought I was the only one on this forum that was a witch and belived in the goddess. COOL! I'm glad things are finally getting into good working order for you!

Day 7 of the MC and in many ways the toughest day so far.

Luna, no, I am not Wiccan/Witch, though I have spent some time exploring both and have participated in Pagan community.

I am more a Christian heretic...lol and a student of the Western Mystery tradition. You could call me a hermetic christian I suppose if I had to label it.

I am also a tarotist and give local workshops teaching others how to read the cards for themselves for self-awareness and spiritual growth.

Today I found myself fantasizing about food. During a drive this afternoon I created an entire raw food menu for a restaurant in my head.

I've been around a lot of food this past seven days. Only three things really got me: watermelon, arugula, and oddly enough, pinto beans.

I've also been planning how I will break this fast. Certainly I'll use diluted, fresh juices, but I'm almost certain that o.j. will not be one of them. I'm thinking a blend of cucumber, celery and a few carrots. What do you think?

~K

Inspirational! Keep up the good work!

Day 8 of my MC experience.

I've had powerful thoughts of breaking the fast today...so powerful that I began to think that maybe my body wanted me to, but I have decided to continue. My greatest motivation at this point is the amount of elimination and cleansing that is just now kicking in. I also suspect that hunger and cravings go hand in hand with the stages in which the body is really starting to clean out. So, I'm hangin in. Besides, I'd probably feel a bit disappionted that I did not go the entire 10 days.

I feel just a tad puny with not a great deal of extra energy, although still plenty to do light chores and errands.

I cannot wait for a glass of fresh juice, or a smoothie and I'm craving greens.
On the otherhand, there are moments when pizza or chinese or sushi or hell, anything sounds pretty darned good.

thanks for the attagirl shep

~Kat

you're doin' great! !! keep it up! !! !

I chose to end my fast last evening which was the evening of the 9th day. It's difficult to describe the "knowing" which prompted me to end the fast. I was decidedly hungry, but it was more than that. At any rate I chose to end it and drank three glasses of diluted carrot juice over about a two hour period. This was followed by a copious elimination and I awoke this morning feeling well.

It is 10:30 A.M. and I have not yet had anything but lemon and water and a tea of nettles, oat straw and milk thistle (I try and wait as long as possible in the mornings before breaking the night time fast), but will drink vegetable and some fruit juices all day today. I may have a salad or blended smoothie tonight.

I feel inspired to stay raw and to continue breaking my attachments to food as pleasure without consideration for its effects on my body/mind. This may be one of the hardest things I've ever done as I do love food.

My intention is to continue this thread as I transition back to nourishing my body with raw veggies and fruits...

thanks to luna and shep for the support,

see ya in the funny pages,

Kathleen

of course! I'm glad you're feeling well and staying raw. I ate a SAD meal this afternoon for lunch. I feel drained and a tad bit irritated. I mean like the littlest issue will send me into an angry fit. strange for me. after my bloated belly finds it's normal size again, I'll be fine, though. LOLOL! !

Today, my first day back eating, is harder by far than any of the 9 days on the master cleanse were. I'm craving everything! and trying not to be frustrated with the craving. There must have been some expectation that the fast would take care of all of that, but it hasn't.

It doesn't help that I am pre-menstrual and wanting nothing more than to curl up on the sofa, zone out with tv and try to forget that I just read Norman Walkers excellent little book, "Becoming Younger" and that raw foods and (for me) small amounts of food make me feel 100% better than the most delicious cooked food ever has.

Tonight I will have a baked sweet potatoe with my salad. I just want something warm and COOKED for chrissakes!

luna, I understand how you feel. Every time I eat a SAD meal I feel completely deranged: guilty, uncomfortable in my skin, critical of myself and others, and more positively, DETERMINED that tomorrow I WILL do better.

Persevere,

K

exactly! I feel better when the things I eat, are raw. Or at the very least, vegitarian.

9 days! Good job!

How are you feeling now? since you've been off of your fast for a few days. Are you still doing fine?I hope so!